The Vanuatu Government has stopped short of ordering a mass evacuation of Ambae island despite widespread reports of acid rain and ash from the erupting Manaro Voui volcano, endorsing instead a targeted response that will see an assessment team deploy to the island this weekend. On Friday the Council of Ministers approved the National Disaster Committee’s action plan and set aside 20 million vatu (about US$170,000) to fund a National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) team due to travel to Ambae on Saturday to identify the worst-hit communities and recommend formal disaster zone declarations.
Climate change minister Ralph Regenvanu said the government is urging residents in the most affected areas to move to less-affected parts of the island if they feel unsafe, but emphasised there is currently no mandatory evacuation. “Even though on Ambae we are hearing the activity of the volcano is changing, sometimes it is increasing and sometimes it is going down, it is still only at alert level three,” he said in Bislama, adding that contingency plans have been approved should officials raise the alert to level four. Under the Cabinet decision, an emergency evacuation plan would be activated automatically if authorities declare alert level four and the island is designated a disaster zone.
The Vanuatu Meteorology and Geohazard Department (VMGD) says acid rain and ash are already affecting communities beyond Ambae, reaching Santo, Malakula, Pentecost and Ambrym. VMGD director Levu Antfalo described the immediate impacts: the ash contains sulphur oxides that form acidic rain, burning crops and contaminating open water sources. “It burns their crops, pretty much anything that it gets in contact with, water as well. Usually those who use wells, drums, tanks that are not covered could be affected, but bore hole water seems to be okay,” Antfalo said, warning that heavy ash fall also alters pH levels and can harm freshwater prawns and fish.
Residents in neighbouring islands report worrying signs. Edwin Tarai, who was evacuated from Ambae after the 2018 eruption and now lives in Santo, said people on the island are complaining about what they see as slow government action. “There is no plan of moving out at the moment but there is a concern. People are complaining and wondering what the government’s next move is,” the 74-year-old former nurse practitioner said. Noise from the volcano has also caused alarm: Luganville tugboat captain Nixon Garae relayed reports from relatives in East Ambae who say the eruptions are loud enough to make conversation difficult and have caused ear pain. “Last Saturday when they were in church… they could hardly hear him because the noise was too loud,” Garae said.
Providing scientific context, Yannick Behr of New Zealand’s GNS Science described Ambae as a typical, active shield volcano sitting on a rifting zone driven by eastward subduction of the Australian plate. Recent plumes have reached about four kilometres above sea level, he said, noting that while eruptions can be explosive they tend to be less catastrophic than some other volcano types because of the magma consistency.
Authorities have issued both aviation warnings for ash over Ambae and a public safety reminder that a three-kilometre radius around the crater is designated a danger zone. Antfalo urged residents to protect water stores and take precautions for those with respiratory illnesses as the NDMO team prepares to map damage on the ground and recommend whether additional emergency measures, including wider evacuations, are necessary.
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